CONCORD, Ala. (WIAT) – After the EF4 tornado devastated the city of Tuscaloosa it charged fast right to the west of I-20/59 into a heavily wooded Tuscaloosa county carving a path into Jefferson County. The first Jefferson county community in its way was Concord. The town that was affected by the 1998 F5 tornado was hit again.

Concord mines has a coal washing facility before the town. Coal dust is nothing new to residents in Concord. However with the heavily forested area that was a barrier between the coal mounds and community was flattened. Now there is nothing stopping the coal dust.

Some residents say it has made the community nastier. The lack of trees allows for more severe thunderstorms to cause damage with faster winds with no tree line barriers. It also limits privacy to the many newly rebuilt homes. Traffic noise is also causing headache for folks in Concord. However with all of the new issues the town is coming along. The Concord Highland Baptist Church opened on Easter Sunday. That was the first service held there since the Easter Sunday in April 2011, just days before the EF4 tornado leveled it.